Sharing web sessions

ABSTRACT

A web session may be shared between two or more browser clients both viewing the same content on the same web content server. By providing a proxy device on the server side of the network, bandwidth may be utilized effectively. As one example, a help session may be initiated via a proxy device on the server side of the network. Session sharing may be provided with an additional server side browser. The server side browser may be manned by help desk personnel who may communicate with the user of a client browser at the same time both the user and the help desk personnel are viewing the same web page.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/785,918, filed on Feb. 17, 2001.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to establishing web sessions.

A session is a data stream from a content server. Conventionally, aclient, connected over a network such as the Internet, accesses webpages on a web server. The client does this by making a hypertexttransfer protocol (HTTP) request to a server that responds with therequested information. As a result, a web session is established whichconventionally is a private session between a single browser client userand the addressed web server.

Users may need help in connection with various web sites or web pages.Generally, when the user needs help, the user may operate a soft helpbutton and receives, in effect, pre-prepared information. Alternatively,the user may contact the web site provider, for example, over atelephone or electronic mail link. In many cases, the web site providerhas a large number of web pages and may be uncertain exactly which webpage the user has concerns about. In many cases, the web site providerprovides assistance to the web page user without viewing the web page orwithout a complete understanding of the precise nature of the user'sproblem.

The quality of the service provided and the amount of time needed tohelp the user may suffer because the web site provider may not have aclear understanding of the exact issue raised by the user. In somecases, the web site provider can attempt to work through the web pagesstarting from the home page to attempt to recreate the situationplaguing the user. However, in some cases, the user may not rememberexactly how the user arrived at a given page. In other cases, it maytake an extended amount of time for the web site provider to arrive atthe same location in the web site currently creating the problem for theuser.

Thus, the private nature of a web session between a client browser andthe server may create problems. One instance of these problems arisewith the provision of on-line help services because the help serviceprovider may be unable to see what the user sees.

Other problems that arise from the private nature of web sessionsinclude the inability of a plurality of users to communicate effectivelywhile viewing a web page. Again, the private nature of the Internetaccess protocol generally limits the number of users that mayparticipate in a given session.

Thus, there is a need for a way to share a particular web session amongusers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a chart showing a process in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for software on a proxy device in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a screen display in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A network 10 for establishing a session may include a browser client 12communicating over a network such as the Internet 14 with a web contentserver 22. The communication between the client 12 and server 22 may bevia a proxy 16 which during normal communications is a completelytransparent communication path. In other words, prior to the occurrenceof a trigger event, the proxy 16 may do nothing, in one embodiment,other than to merely transfer communications between the client 12 andthe server 22. Thus, a session may exist between the client 12 and theserver 22 which is substantially unaffected by the proxy device 16.

The proxy device 16 may be a processor-based system in one embodiment ofthe present invention. Thus, the device 16 may include its own processorand may be coupled to a storage device 18. The storage device 18 may beany of a variety of known storage devices such as a hard disk drive or aflash memory, as two examples. Software 20, for controlling theoperation of the proxy device 16, may be stored in the storage device18. The proxy device 16 may include a proxy engine that will bedescribed in more detail hereinafter. The proxy device 16 may be adedicated use inbound proxy in one embodiment.

The proxy device 16 may be coupled to a shadow browser 24. The shadowbrowser 24 may be a client processor-based system in one embodiment.

The proxy device 16 and shadow browser 24 are on the server side of theclient server communication protocol with respect to the network 14.Thus, the proxy device 16 and the shadow browser 24 may communicatethrough a relatively high bandwidth connection compared to theconnection between the Internet 14 and the browser client 12.

Turning next to FIG. 2, the client 12 may access an Internet web page byrequesting the web page as indicated at 1. Thus, the client 12 requeststhe web page from the server 22, for example, by making a HTTP requestthat travels over the Internet 14. This request may pass unaffectedthrough the proxy device 16 to the content web server 22. A result isreturned from the web server 22 to the browser client 12 via the samelogical route. In such case, the proxy device 16 has no affect on theweb session which proceeds between the client 12 and the server 22.

However when a trigger occurs, the proxy device 16 intercepts the webpage in the form of a data stream and maps the client browser address toa virtual proxy address as indicated at 3. The proxy device 16 also addsthe shadow browser client address to a proxy address table for thatsession's address. The proxy device 16 may also forward the domaincookie information refresh instruction requests to a listener on theshadow browser client 24 as indicated at 5.

The shadow client browser 24 then sends a refresh request as indicatedat 6. As a result, the shadow client browser 24 and client 12 bothdisplay the same web page. Optionally, a chat client session may beinvoked between the various session participants which include theclient 12, the server 22 and at least one shadow browser 24.

The trigger event to initiate the session sharing may be a request fromthe user invoked from code on the client 12. Alternatively, the triggermay be the result of an embedded web page function. For example,referring to FIG. 4, a help icon 65 may be maintained on the web page60. When the user clicks on the help icon 65, a code may be generatedwhich may be intercepted by the proxy device 16 to initiate sessionsharing. As still another example, the session sharing may be invokedvia an automated call from the web content server 22. As one example,when the number of data entry errors detected by the server 22 exceeds apredetermined limit during a single web session, the proxy device 16 maybe automatically triggered.

In one embodiment a secure transaction may be implemented, for exampleusing a modified secure socket layer (SSL). SSL may be implemented inthe proxy device 16 by renegotiating sessions between the proxy device16 and the server 22 and between the proxy device 16 and the client 12,with the proxy device 16 translating for device 16-client 12 and device16-server 22 transactions.

Where the proxy device 16 and server 12 have a trusted connection,translation may not be needed in device 16-server 22 transactions. Ingeneral the proxy device 16 needs a certificate with any server 22 itinteracts with. Thus, a SSL proxy may be useful in some situations tonegotiate sessions where a pre-existing relationship was not alreadyestablished.

Referring to FIG. 3, the proxy software 20 stored on the proxy device 16storage 18 begins by detecting the occurrence of an event as indicatedat diamond 26 in one embodiment of the present invention. When an eventis detected, the requested web page is intercepted from the web server22. The client address is then mapped to the proxy device 16 asindicated in block 30. At this point, the server 22 believes it iscommunicating with the client 12 but instead is actually communicatingwith the proxy device 16. The proxy device 16 then communicates orestablishes sessions with both the client 12 and one or more shadowbrowsers 24.

To implement multiple sessions, the shadow browser 24 address is addedto a proxy address table as indicated in block 32. A refresh request isthen forwarded to the shadow client as indicated in block 34. When theclient 12 initiates the refresh request, the shadow browser 24 thendisplays the same web page displayed by the client 12.

As one example, a help session may be initiated. Help desk personnel,managing the shadow browser 24, see the same web page as the user of theclient 12. The help desk personnel may thereby provide more effectiveassistance to the user. As still another application, one may inviteregistered shadow browser users into a shared browser session. Eachmember of the session may have the ability to navigate for the groupamong any desired web pages or by defining a view only status within theaddress mapping thereby enabling some active and other passive browserparticipants. A termination status setting may be set as well. As oneexample, a setting may determine whether the session is automaticallyterminated when the initiator leaves the session or when the lastparticipating browser leaves the session.

By putting the device 16 which initiates the session sharing on theserver side of the network 10, bandwidth may be conserved. Thisplacement avoids encroaching on the more limited bandwidth constraintsof the typical browser user when compared to remote control where clientis just remoting software.

Referring to FIG. 4, the web page 60 may include a variety ofinformation 62 and 64 to be completed by the user. Once the shadowbrowser 24 is sharing the session with the client 12, a chat session maybe initiated. For example, the user may ask a question 68 and the helpdesk personnel manning the shadow browser 24 may provide an answer, asindicated at 70, while viewing the same web page that the user isviewing.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a limitednumber of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerousmodifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appendedclaims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this present invention.

1. A method comprising: detecting a request for a help session; and upondetection of a request for a help session, sharing a browser sessionbetween at least two clients.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein detectinga help session includes detecting, at a server, a help session generatedon the client.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein sharing a browsersession includes intercepting a web page provided from a server to theclient.
 4. The method of claim 3 including mapping a client address ofthe web page to a proxy.
 5. The method of claim 4 including enabling aproxy to provide the web page to a shadow browser client.
 6. The methodof claim 5 wherein enabling the proxy to provide the web page to ashadow browser client includes forwarding a refresh request to theshadow browser client.
 7. The method of claim 1 including detecting arequest for a chat session.
 8. The method of claim 1 including detectinga request for a shared browser session.
 9. The method of claim 2including initiating the session sharing over a network between a clienton one side of a network and a server on the other side of a network andsharing the session with another client coupled on the server's side ofthe network.
 10. The method of claim 1 including enabling an iconassociated with the web page to be selected and generating an event inresponse to the selection of the icon.
 11. An article comprising amedium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:detect a request for a help session; and upon detection of a request fora help session, share a browser session between at least two clients.12. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable theprocessor-based system to detect, at a server, a help session generatedon the client.
 13. The article of claim 12 further storing instructionsthat enable the processor-based system to intercept a web page providedfrom a server to the client.
 14. The article of claim 13 further storinginstructions that enable the processor-based system to map a clientaddress of the web page to a proxy.
 15. The article of claim 14 furtherstoring instructions that enable the processor-based system to enable aproxy to provide the web page to a shadow browser client.
 16. Thearticle of claim 15 further storing instructions that enable theprocessor-based system to forward a refresh request to the shadowbrowser client.
 17. The article of claim 11 further storing instructionsthat enable the processor-based system to detect a request for a chatsession.
 18. The article of claim 12 further storing instructions thatenable the processor-based system to initiate the session sharing over anetwork between a client on one side of the network and a server on theother side of the network and share the session with another clientcoupled on the server's side of the network.
 19. A system comprising: aprocessor-based device; and a storage coupled to said device, saidstorage storing instructions that enable the processor-based device todetect a request for a help session and upon the detection of a requestfor a help session, cause a browser session to be shared between atleast two clients.
 20. The system of claim 19 wherein saidprocessor-based device is a proxy which may be transparent tocommunications passing between a browser client and a server throughsaid proxy until a help session is detected.
 21. The system of claim 20wherein in response to the detection of a help session, saidprocessor-based device causes a browser session to be shared between atleast two clients.
 22. The system of claim 19 adapted to be located onthe server side of a network.
 23. The system of claim 19 wherein saidstorage stores instructions that enable the processor-based device tointercept a web page provided from a server to a client.
 24. The systemof claim 23 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable theprocessor-based device to map a client address of the web page to aproxy.
 25. The system of claim 24 wherein said storage storesinstructions that enable the processor-based device to provide the webpage to a shadow browser client.
 26. The system of claim 25 wherein saidstorage stores instructions that enable the processor-based device toforward a refresh request to a shadow browser client.
 27. The system ofclaim 19 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable theprocessor-based device to initiate session sharing over a networkbetween a client on one side of the network and a server on the otherside of the network and share the session with another client coupled onthe server's side of the network.